Although they were often overshadowed by their male counterparts, these female performers demonstrated exceptional skills, ranging from conjuring to grand illusion shows. They broke down barriers in a field traditionally dominated by men, bringing their own touch of creativity, mystery and innovation. Their contribution continues to inspire new generations of magicians, proving that talent and passion for magic know no gender.
“I wish there were more magicians today.”
Léa Kyle, magician, practices quick change
At 28 years old, Léa Kyle already has a great track record to her credit. She was crowned French magic champion in 2019, before reaching the semi-final of France has an unbelievable talent in 2020, then in the final of America’s Got Talent, in the United States, the following year. She is now aiming for first place at the 2025 World Magic Championships. His tour de force: change costumes nineteen times per number without going behind a screen. Never seen. “What interests me is creating something new.”, says this artist who designs and sews her costumes herself. A passion born ten years ago, by chance. An apprentice fashion designer, she meets the magician Florian Sainvet (world conjuring champion in 2018) during an evening. Thunderbolt. The couple works as a duo to improve their respective numbers. “Being a woman has never been a problem for me in my career. On the contrary, I benefited from the fact that we were few in number. But, of course, I wish there were more magicians today.” Because there is still a lot to do. Out of 800 professionals in France, only around fifteen are women.
“I have experienced too many condescending comments from male colleagues.”
Claire Chastel, magician, actress and director
Why such a disparity? “There are historical causes. Performing on stage has long been considered a form of prostitution for womenrecalls Claire Chastel. Witches have been burned for centuries, making learning conjuring dangerous“. Result: a cruel lack of female role models.”When a girl starts magic, she only refers to men.” As a teenager, she was the only girl at the Paris Magic Academy. Then the misogyny of the environment made her leave magic for the theater for ten years. “I’ve experienced too many condescending comments from male colleagues.”
The criticism is not new. Founded in 1905, the prestigious Magic Circle of London, which included David Copperfield and King Charles III among its ranks, only opened its doors to women in 1991. Two decades earlier, when the magician Diane Matthews burned her support- throat in front of the doors of the institution as a sign of protest, the spokesperson for the Circle gave this response: “We think women can’t keep a secret.” It is therefore not surprising that the rare female figures in history come from families of magicians.. Adelaide Hermann, around 1900, who caught bullets fired from a revolver with her mouth, was the widow of the illusionist Alexander Hermann. The father of the Belgian Suzy Wandas, who played magnificent card numbers in the music halls of the 1930s, was a conjurer. Caroline Marx and Alexandra Duvivier, two celebrities of today, are also the daughters of magicians.
“They didn’t give me the place, I had to take it”
Elisabeth Amato, magician, specialist in card tricks
Claire Chastel had no family ties to magic, nor Elisabeth Amato, considered the pioneer of contemporary French magicians. This specialist in card tricks and mentalismwhose shows are staged by theater men like Michel Vuillermoz or Alain Sachs, established itself in the 1980s.It’s life that made me a magician. My husband told me: it’s magic or me. I decided to follow my passion.” She then flies to Las Vegas and presents her few card tricks in front of a congress of magicians. “It was like going to the swimming pool without knowing how to swim. I barely spoke English.“She wins the votes, congratulated by Brother Hamman, legend of card magic. On her return, she divorces and learns her trade the hard way, working in restaurants.”They didn’t give me the place, I had to take it. It was extremely difficult. To gain respect from my male colleagues, I won prizes in international competitions. But these conqueror things do not illustrate my conception of magic.”
Elisabeth Amato prefers to play on the springs of the marvelous, on the coincidences of life which, she is sure, are not such, and to make the spectators feel that magic surrounds us. “I make them realize that they have power rather than taking power over them. I find it a very feminine attitude.”
“I want to immerse the audience in a momentary reality”
Valentine Losseau, magician, founder of the new magic artistic movement
Valentine Losseau decided not to go on stage. In 2000, at the age of 16, she created the company with two magicians of her age, Raphaël Navarro and Clément Debailleul. 14:20. Objective : the meeting of magic with other forms of art, dance, opera or theater. In 2018, she directed with Raphaël Navarro Faust from Goethe to the Comédie Française, imbued with holograms and levitations. Currently, she is planning a show for Cirque du Soleil in the United States and her next show They found me grown up will be performed in March at the Caen theater. “When they discovered our first productions, the magicians were surprised that there was no magician on stage to make the dancers levitate. We wanted to put the magic at the forefront, not the magician. I want to immerse the audience in a momentary reality“.
A new generation of magicians in action
Valentine Losseau had a lot of difficulty, in her youth, having access to secrets. “When I attended magic conferences with my partner, we showed him the tricks with his back to me, so that he could fascinate me with his tricks. Impressing women is a great source of illusionism.” This is why she worked to open the cenacle by launching, twenty years ago, magic training intended for artists, at the Circus Arts Center in Châlons-en-Champagne. At the beginning, no women did not register… But, for 10 years, they have been in the majority. Alexandra Duvivier has followed the same logic: she directs in Paris the first magic school to deliver a bac+2 diploma recognized by the State. Notice to amateurs.
Read also :
⋙ Shows, books, videos…Mentalism is put on show
⋙ Portrait of Yogane, one of the rare female magicians
⋙ Interview with Viktor Vincent: a mentalist reveals his secrets to us